“The Police vs. Grime” – Racism in London’s Underground Rap Scene

Noisey explores police racism in London’s underground rap scene in their new short documentary, The Police vs. Grime.

The documentary takes a recently cancelled event at London’s Barbican Center as a jump-off point to discuss why it is becoming increasingly difficult to put on events that host predominantly Black and Asian crowds in London. The event, which was to present rapper and musician JME alongside electronic musicians like Mount Kimbie, was cancelled after the police “bullied” the venue into shutting it down, citing Form 696. The documentary explores the racially discriminatory history of the Form, used to assess the risk of crime at certain forthcoming events, and ask why the Police are not engaging in dialogue with the community.

In the wake of the London riots, it seems tensions between the police and London’s minorities are still running high. No surprise, however, that the City of London, the Metropolitan Police and Association of Chief Police Officers all declined to be part of the short film.